What Is Simsim? Ugandan Sesame Explained
Simsim is the Ugandan word for sesame, roasted and ground into a nutty paste for savoury sauces and also made into sweet simsim balls. Here is what it is and how it is used.
African Stores Editorial Team
The short answer
Simsim is the Ugandan word for sesame, and it plays two roles in the kitchen. Roasted and ground, it becomes simsim paste, a rich, nutty sauce stirred into stews, beans and greens, especially in northern Uganda. The same roasted seeds are also bound with a little sugar or honey and shaped into simsim balls or bars, a sweet, crunchy snack. So simsim covers both an everyday savoury paste and a homemade treat. In the UK sesame seeds and ready-made simsim paste are sold by African food shops, which you can find near you on African Stores.
What to remember
- Simsim is the Ugandan word for sesame, both the seed and the paste made from it.
- Roasted and ground, it becomes a nutty simsim paste stirred into savoury stews, beans and greens.
- It is also made into simsim balls, a sweet snack of roasted sesame bound with sugar or honey.
- It is used alongside groundnut paste and is a signature flavour of northern Ugandan cooking.
- Sesame is a named allergen, so simsim is worth flagging to anyone with a sesame allergy.
Roasting sesame is one of those small kitchen rituals that fills a home with warmth. The seeds tick and pop in the pan, turning golden and releasing a toasted, nutty smell, and in many Ugandan households, especially in the north, that smell is the start of something good. Simsim is folded into the everyday: a spoonful of paste to enrich a pot of greens, a handful of sweet balls pressed for the children after a meal.
There is real comfort in a flavour that stretches from the savoury pot to the sweet snack. For Ugandans in Britain, a jar of simsim paste or a bag of sesame seeds is a quiet link to the family table, the same nutty richness that once thickened a stew of beans back home. To grind a little simsim in a UK kitchen is to carry that taste across the miles and share it with the next person at your table.
What Simsim Actually Is
Simsim is simply the Ugandan and wider East African word for sesame, the small, flat, cream-coloured seeds you may know from breads and sweets. In Uganda the word covers both the raw seed and, more often, what people make from it. When the seeds are roasted and ground they turn into simsim paste, a thick, oily, deeply nutty spread that is the heart of a great deal of northern Ugandan cooking. It is a staple of home kitchens across the country and sits comfortably among the wider dishes of Ugandan food.
Because it starts life as an oil-rich seed, simsim brings both flavour and substance to a dish. A spoonful of the paste thickens a sauce, softens the edge of bitter greens and adds a savoury, almost creamy richness that people grow up loving. It is used much like groundnut paste is used, and the two are often spoken of in the same breath, which is why a pot of simsim greens has a lot in common with a good bowl of groundnut soup.
Simsim as a Savoury Paste and a Sweet
The thing that surprises people about simsim is that it lives on both sides of the meal. First and foremost, in Uganda, it is a savoury ingredient. Roasted sesame is ground into paste and stirred into stews, beans and cooked greens to make what many simply call sim-sim stew, a smooth, tangy, nutty sauce. It is a natural partner to sour and leafy dishes, and it turns up in northern classics such as malakwang, where the paste enriches a sour hibiscus-leaf stew.
Alongside that everyday savoury role, simsim is also the base of a sweet. Roasted seeds are bound together with sugar or honey and shaped into simsim balls or pressed into bars, a crunchy, more-ish snack sold at markets and made at home. It is close in spirit to sesame sweets found elsewhere in West Africa and beyond, but in Uganda simsim is a savoury paste before it is anything else, and the sweet is a happy second life for the same roasted seed. Keeping both in mind is the best way to understand what Ugandans mean when they say simsim.
How Simsim Is Made and Served
Making simsim paste begins with roasting the sesame seeds in a dry pan until they are golden and fragrant, then grinding them, traditionally on a stone, into a thick paste. For a savoury sauce the paste is loosened with a little water or stock and stirred into a pot of beans, greens or vegetables, sometimes together with groundnut paste, and seasoned simply so the nutty flavour comes through. The result is spooned over sweet potato, cassava, posho or millet bread such as kalo. For the sweet, the roasted seeds are mixed with warm sugar or honey and shaped into small balls or a flat bar while still warm, then left to set.
A gentle word on allergens: sesame is a named food allergen, so simsim, both the paste and the sweet, should be flagged to anyone with a sesame allergy, and simsim dishes are often cooked with groundnut paste too, which matters for peanut allergies. As with any food, treat notes about its richness or goodness as general information rather than proven health advice. Made carefully, simsim is a warm, nourishing flavour that stretches easily from a savoury pot to a sweet treat.
Where to Buy Simsim in the UK
Simsim is easy to gather in Britain from African food shops. Plain sesame seeds are widely sold, ready to roast and grind at home, and shops serving East African customers often stock ready-made simsim paste in jars so you can go straight to the sauce. For the sweet you need only sesame seeds and sugar or honey, while for a savoury sim-sim stew you might also pick up dried beans, greens and groundnut paste at the same time. You can find African food stores near you to see what is nearby.
Frequently asked questions
What is simsim?
Simsim is the Ugandan word for sesame, covering both the seed and the paste made from it. Roasted and ground, it becomes a rich, nutty simsim paste that is stirred into stews, beans and greens, especially in northern Uganda. The same roasted seeds are also bound with sugar or honey to make sweet simsim balls, so simsim is both a savoury paste and a sweet snack.
What does simsim taste like?
Simsim has a warm, toasted, nutty flavour that comes from roasting the sesame seeds before grinding them. As a savoury paste it is rich and almost creamy, softening bitter greens and thickening sauces. Made into sweet simsim balls with sugar or honey it is crunchy and toasty, more nutty than sugary.
Is simsim savoury or sweet?
It is both. In Uganda simsim is first an everyday savoury paste, stirred into stews, beans and greens to make a nutty sauce, and used alongside groundnut paste. The same roasted seeds are also made into sweet simsim balls or bars, so the one ingredient runs from the main pot right through to a snack.
Does simsim contain allergens?
Yes. Simsim is made from sesame, which is a named food allergen, so both the paste and the sweet should be flagged to anyone with a sesame allergy. Savoury simsim dishes are also often cooked with groundnut paste, so they can carry peanut allergens too. This is general information rather than medical advice.
Where can I buy simsim in the UK?
African food shops are the place to buy simsim: plain sesame seeds to roast and grind at home, and often ready-made simsim paste in jars. Shops serving East African customers stock the sesame and, alongside it, the dried beans, greens and groundnut paste for a savoury sim-sim stew. African Stores lists African and Caribbean food shops across the UK, so you can find one near you that stocks them.